Black Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:55:00 +0000

Mousavi the leader of the Green Movement of Iran.

camping

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 03:44:00 +0000

I'm in one of the most beautiful places on earth. The Shannon fall is in front of me and I have the spectacular view of the chieff raised against the sky. Beautiful birds are singing in harmony with the roaring sound of the fall and the wind is blowing through the leaves of the tall green trees. I understand how great this is. And I know there is much more depth to it, much more than a lonely soul like me can absorb. to understand the beauty of the moment in full, you need both halves of your soul united. Without her there is always something missing...

Self portrait!

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 03:28:00 +0000

I always liked to paint!

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:22:00 +0000

tDo you think I could be a painter? I think so, and that makes me feel regretful! So tell me this is a piece of crap and ease my pain!

Knowing

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:11:00 +0000

This movie has brought BS to a new level. It starts in a very stunning way so that you think you're watching the best thriller ever. The visual effects is just astonishing. As the story goes on you become more and more disappointed. At the end you have this feeling that the hole plot is written by a child who's parents has told her some stories from the bible, something like stories of Adam and Eve and the Armageddon, and she mixed these stories with the stories of aliens and UFOs she heard at school... The first 2/3 of the movie is worth watching, but the rest is a huge disappointment. Honestly though, it is like giving this simple mindedly written plot to the best film making crew.
I bet the plot has been written with the church approval. And it is scary how they can expose the audience to their anti-science crap!

Things I do not do without you

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 05:20:00 +0000

There are places unseen, moments unshared, words unspoken, dances undancesd, looks uncast, songs unsung, notes unplayed, laughs unlaughed, tears unshed, airs unbreathed, skins untouched, hairs uncaressed, hearts unbeaten; lips unkissed.

There are moments imagined but unlived.

White Norouz!

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:57:00 +0000

No family gathering, No gifts, no "sabzy polo with fish", no "haft sin", not even a single green plant to give me a faint feeling of Spring! Sitting in my cubical, diving deep into dreams of colorful and glorious Norouzes of the past, I feel lonelier than ever!

Bergman's Sawdust and Tinsel

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:35:00 +0000

Life goes round and round as the circus Ingmar Bergman pictured in one of the silver screen's masterpieces "Sawdust and Tinsel" does. The movie is made black and white in 1953 and is one of the director's favorites and is really worth watching. Ingmar Bergman has never disappointed me, and I am still eager to watch more and more of his movies. He was a very busy director and is going to keep me amazed by his picture for years to come. I have "Crisis" and "Persona" in my list. I'm going to watch the former tonight actually.

We're All Gonna Die

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:26:00 +0000

A friend of mine sent this link while I was at work today. So, I opened it and I looked at it and I just tried to find something funny in the extremely wide photo (which is actually a combination of 20 shots) to share with my friend - for instance I found a dude showing his middle finger to the cameraman- But when I saw the title of the work "We're All Gonna Die, 100 meters of existence" everything in the photo looked differently. The dude with middle finger was not funny anymore. At a sudden, every single person in the photo gave a new dimension to the photograph. Suddenly everything in the photo was deep in meaning.
And it made me think about life. As long as you live your everyday life, everything is ordinary and superficial and lacks meaning. But when you think about the fact that We're All Gonna Die, you live your moment. That is how so many art and literature masterpieces are created. The shadow of death hovering above our soul is a great force that can make you do good or ... bad.

The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:44:00 +0000

The Hour is one of my favorite talk shows which airs every weekdays on CBC television. In tonight's show George had first Azar Nafisi, introducing her new book "Things I've been Silent About" which has drawn so much attention. The second guest who was actually my whole reason of watching the show on TV (intead of o watching the podcast on Miro, as ususal) was Chris Cornell, My favorite rock singer, introducing his new album "scream"; which oddly enough has recorded with the hip-hop singer Timberland.It's coming in March.

So if you do not have access to the CBC television, download Miro which is an open source video software and subscribe to The Hour or your other favorite shows. it's fun.

I am back!

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 06:38:00 +0000

It might have happened to you. Suddenly, with no reason, you find yourself unable to create, if you are an artist, to write, if you are a writer, or simply to post if you are a blogger. It happened to me almost 2 years ago. During this time, I could never explain why I did not feel like writing. Now when I look back, I have this feeling that, at some point, my soul started a journey. A journey to find some new meaning to life, some lost ingredients to soul, to find something that I think was "me".
It was like moulting. I started changing my skin; and that was my personality, my reaction to the outside world, my perception of external world. And what is this external world? Not only people and things around me, but also the definitions I have in mind from the values, the morality and from concepts such as loneliness, love, commitment, faith. I have not found all my answers yet -and I will be the happiest person ever if I ever do- but at least I know what I am looking for.
Now I can feel the changes happening inside me. I can see the new skin forming and shaping my soul. I feel like the eyes watching "me" from above. I see his highs and lows. Sometimes I enjoy the show, sometimes not. Sometimes this "me" surprises me! By showing silly reactions to the inputs! And he cannot help it. Sometimes, he becomes happy from very simple things. Sometimes he gets angry from so superficial things that could make him think less of people who care about them. But these strange experiences happens only once. He learns his lessons fast. At night he is confused, in the morning the confusion is gone and again he finds himself in peace with the world. At night he is angry, in the morning he finds it funny how easily he got angry about nothing. At night he thinks he is surrounded by stupid people, in the morning he finds himself one of them. And the list goes on and on.
I am back.

The world is upside down!

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 16:13:00 +0000

"It's a tragic incident. But to find out that he is a Korean, I am ashamed and confused." You may hear that from any Korean these days.

There are many instances of crime and violence in the United States everyday. Some of them are committed by immigrants or resident aliens and green card holders of any nationality. However, it is nature of America.

When you live in America, you are under control of American culture and American media. You are Korean or Chinese or whatever, but you are more American. As a permanent resident, it is the States government responsibility to provide you with social security. The government is responsible to determine if you are eligible for a gun or not. He is responsible to diagnose your mental illness. And when he fails to do so, he should be ashamed.

It is foolish. Whenever such a crap happens in the states and it turns out that the criminal was originally from another country, concerns rise about immigrants and resident aliens. They generalize it to all foreigners. The American media has induced this perception that the national security is under threat. Everybody in any part of the world is alarmed for America's national security! It is a nightmare for any prime minister from any country that when in the next morning he reads the title in the first page of the local newspaper that “the gunman identified as ...” he finds his country name there.

The gunman of Virginia tech was suffering seriously from mental illness. But instead of diagnosing his illness and protecting him, America gave him a gun “legally”. America is to blame. America should apologize to Korea.

VTech tragedy

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:49:00 +0000

There has been reports by the press that the gunman had put an alarm note on a website (4Chen) were people can share their thoughts or files anonymously saying “I am gonna kill people in Virginia tech today” signed under “hey /b/”. That was controversial though, since the date was unknown. The articles mentioning that has all been removed.

However, I searched for this ID and I found out that it in a similar website (totse), there were some posts under “hey /b/”. This guy named “Katy” had some comments on VTech massacre, implying the gunman might have been right and those people might have deserved that! One post says: “I'll pray for the gunman.” Another one: “Most of those kids probley deserved it, kudos to the gunman.”

The fact that "hey /b/" has comments on 4chen (you can find it in "toste") proves that he/she is the one who put the famous post not the murmurer.
Ain't it scary that there are people out there, happy with what has happened in VTech?

He's alive fighting against paralysis!

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 15:16:00 +0000

The operation is done. A 13 hour overwhelming operation! The tumor was unexpectedly huge, linking with thick veins to the frontal lobe of the brain. They left the skull open to let the brain swell freely; otherwise it would lead to breathing problem and death. He is kept unconscious for a couple of days. It seems that there is a blood clot left in his brain that should be removed. It is not clear yet how much the brain is damaged. But it is clear that he will never be the same man he used to be. Thanks to his surgeon and nurses, the hospital service is perfect.

Now he is alive, fighting against paralysis.

Let’s pray to god for his recovery.

This new friend of mine

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 07:39:00 +0000

I did not know him until recently. A little guy with goaty beard studying PhD. One of those guys who left his country and beloved ones to make a better future for himself and his later children. He was a cool guy; although I had sensed some strange things about him. I knew he had some problems with the new atmosphere here. Recently, I heard he is so sick of this entire PhD thing that decided to get out of here and get back home. He said he was not home sick, just tired of studying and doing stupid assignments and stuff, and that he could not concentrate very well on his studies. We tried to convince him to stay here, and that everything is gonna be alright. He would not listen to you; he might suddenly start telling a joke or just laughing out loud with no good reason! But all these just added to my fondness toward him. I did not have the chance to get to know him better.

Now, I’m sitting here in my room, safe and sound, listening to the Bach’s music, the window is open, fresh air comes in, and I feel so alive! But just 3 blocks away, in the university hospital, this new friend of mine is struggling with a nasty brain tumor. They may have to do the operation on his brain any minute… Nobody knows how he’ll be the next week! His family is in a mental fog of questions and concerns.

When I visited him early this morning, he was still laughing; but not if they had not injected some morphine to relieve his pain. The only thing he said he was concerned of, was his family and all. He was so strong though. He had no fear.

Just 2 hours ago I was there again. He was not conscious. They had done this MRI thing on his brain. It seems that the tumor is in his frontal lobe of brain. The doctor said the tumor is so big that if they could not relive the pressure inside his skull, they would have to do the operation tonight. We were all shocked!

I am sitting here

in my room,

safe and sound,

with fresh air

blowing on my face,

and music

flying over my head,

at the same time

a new friend of mine

is struggling with death,

with a tumor in his head

just three blocks away.

Dictator spent captivity feeding birds!

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 01:30:00 +0000

The gentler side of the brutal tyrant! I don't know, he was a human being after all! Maybe it is true that he told stories to his children, but don't forget that his sons became two monsters who wasted the money of Iraqi people and cause them suffering and pain. Who knows? Maybe by his stories he sowed the seeds of wrath and hatred and brutality in hearts of his children. And I remind you of last phrases of this nice gentleman before hanging which were full of passionate racial hatred of the human being.
You said he fed birds? Really? My ass!! I don't know why some of these soft-hearted critters who want to spread happiness and justice, starts from worst cases! There are millions of evidences of his brutality, thousands of people whose lives are filled with pain, children infected by chemical weapons and poison gas in "Halabja" who have to suffer from their birth to their painful deaths as a punishment of being "Kurd"! And you still try to shed light to his "gentler" side? Where were you when millions of people in Iran and Iraq were suffering under his tyranny? Where were you when seven thousands of people among them hundreds of beautiful children in Halabja suddenly hung on and sank into a cold death? Maybe you were busy feeding birds?!

Blog-Tag

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 02:45:00 +0000

In response to Laleh’s tagging me for Blog-Tag game I share “five things about myself that relatively few people know”:

1- When I was a child, I had this perception of myself that I'm a "chosen person"! I really tried to be kind to "the mankind"! Sometimes in a sunny day, I expected that a cloud would protect me off the sun as a gift of my being so nice to the human being, from heavens!

2- The first time I fell in a "schoolboy kind of love" I was 15. I used to write her initial (R) -sometimes with arrow- in beautiful shapes almost everywhere. No one ever realized that I "so loved" R.

3- Once, when I was a bachelor's student, my mean friends in the dorm lied about my girlfriend like: "H" called and said my girlfriend was at his house for studying chemistry and she was wearing a very sexy top! It freaked me out!!

4- In my bachelor's program, I fell 21 credits in only 2 terms! No one in my family ever realized that shit.

5- I am very proud to announce my little brother as the most amusing and inspiring person I have ever met in my life. Isn't he cute in that pic?

5+1- I do not know 5 bloggers to tag! I tag Azadeh and La Reina if it does not mean that I lose!

Some great facts about Edmonton!

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 01:51:00 +0000

Some of the many points raised on the promotional site named Edmonton Educates:

Edmonton’s river valley park is 22 times larger than Central Park in New York.

There are more golf courses per capita in Edmonton than in any other city in Canada.

Edmonton has one of the lowest population densities of any North American City about 67 times less than the population density of New York City!

Edmonton has one of the best education systems in North America and is the home of: The University of Alberta (which houses Canada’s second largest research library), the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (one of the largest technical institutes in Canada) and Grant MacEwan College (Alberta’s largest college).

There is more than $85 billion dollars of investment planned for the Edmonton region.

Happy birthday Ludwig!

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 07:28:00 +0000

I’m listening to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55 on his 236^th Birthday; a perfect musical masterpiece and one of my faves.

God bless him!

By the way honey, it was on Beethoven’s 234^thanniversary. Remember?

To my beloved soul mate

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 06:27:00 +0000

Now it is two years; and it happened to be the fastest and at the same time the greatest two years of my life.

Two years ago on a day like today I found my best friend; a big soul, a sophisticated friend, the one who always cared for me; the one who was there whenever I needed; the one who shared her best part with me. It is like I lived a life with her.

The adventures we had together, the dance we shared, the happy days and the sad days, from graduation day to our friends’ wedding; from the day she was admitted for a PhD program to the day we found out that we are not destined to be together at least for a couple of years… these are the greatest moments I’ve ever had; the moments that will never be erased from my mind.

Two years ago on a day like today I found my sould mate.

When I was a little kid!

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 01:02:00 +0000

I found my childhood house by Google Earth. It invoked all the memories and filled me with nostalgia!
Click on it!

A special gift!

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 13:00:00 +0000

I find the pick-up notice on the door. It seems that when the postman came, I didn't realize! Any way, I check the working hours of the post office on the net to make sure it works on Saturdays. I walk to the post office, and it is like 30 minutes walk in -20 degrees weather! I am freezing!

I’m at the post office; I have to stand in line for a couple of minutes, hypothesizing about what the parcel can be. It is strange. The only thing I'm expecting these days is the police certificate from Ottawa, what cannot be a parcel and they could leave it in the mailbox! Let’s wait and see. It’s my turn. “Could you give me a piece of ID?” the woman says. And here’s my parcel! It’s bigger than what I expected. I am confused! Let’s see who has sent it. Nothing! No name, no familiar address. Oh, it’s here on the label is written “hat and scarf”. Now my guess is that my father has sent it from his office. I’m pretty sure now; and the address is unfamiliar cause I don’t know where his new office is. I grab the parcel heading my office. I have to do some experiments in the lab today. Again I’m freezing; and although I know there is something very handy in the parcel, I don’t want to open it now, adding to my surprise!

I am in my office, taking off my coat and preparing myself for the moment. Let’s open it. A hat and a scarf, a coarse-grained weave, wooly, grayish. Man, it’s beautiful. Ok, let’s examine it. The first thing crosses my mind is to smell it.

Oh boy! It is killing me! It brings all those glorious moments to my mind. Now, it’s something very special. I have lived with this smell. It has crossed continents and oceans to bring me a smell of those great days I’ve had with you.

In the way back home, it is even colder, but who cares!

Here's your Patriot Act, here's your fucking abuse of power

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 19:52:00 +0000

I just watched the shocking video of the poor Iranian-American student who was attacked by Taser guns of American police at the computer lab in UCLA. In a random check, police asks for his ID, he doesn’t reveal any identity, the police goes out and gets back again asking him to leave. When he’s leaving the lab, an officer approaches him grabbing his arm , the student yells: “Get off me”, at this point another officer approaches, he is repeating “Get off me!” when the second officer shot him with a Taser gun and makes him cry out in pain and fall. This time the student is like "Here's your Patriot Act, here's your fucking abuse of power". Man I liked his line!! The student is all screaming afterwards and the police keep shooting him with those nasty guns. The police is all like “stop fighting us” and “stand up” and the student is all screaming “I’m not fighting you” while he resists standing up. It seems that the gunshot has made him handicapped. The police have threatened the bystanders; they don’t dare to approach! The incident is disgusting.

Oh it seems that they are launching an independent investigation after a protest in UCLA campus. The racist american police is fucking drunk with superpower, and is obviously abusing it. Disgusting!

There's a whole cover of the incident in www.youtube.com , you can find latest movies from UCLA's mess.

Boy I am happy I am studying in Canada. Everything’s in peace in here!

Borat!

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 09:21:00 +0000

Hey, we’ve got a snow shower here! Hope the door gets opened next morning.

I went to that Borat movie! Man it was crazy; it was unbelievably crude and surprisingly comedy! Despite all offensive scenes (yes offensive, I unconsciously covered my face with both hands on some scenes), you can not stop laughing for the whole 84 minutes! I knew Borat, but I couldn’t figure out how crude it could be. But you should confess that this Baron Cohen is a hilarious comedian. Sometimes you forget that he’s just an actor, especially when most of the characters in the movie don’t have the slightest idea that he’s an actor! It’s more like a hidden camera show in these scenes. But, it’s a bit hard to believe that it was the best seller in the box office this and last week, and is rated 8.5 in IMDB!

Next mission is either The Departed or The Prestige. Oh I cannot ignore that Saw III. Imagine… a real silver screen, Dolby digital surrounded sound and the stuff! Boy is it fascinating!

Dimmit! It’s 2am and I gotta wake up early in the morning. Lots of things to do tomorrow…

SCARLATTI, D.: Piano Sonatas

noreply@blogger.com (Babak) — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:48:00 +0000

Wow! I'm finding a great joy in Scarlatti's piano sonates! Pure music, pure piano!

Perfect!